with English Speaking Driver

According to the traditional account Ostia was founded by Ancus Martius, the fourth king of Rome. In Latin Ostia meant estuary, a reference to its location at the mouth of the Tiber. At the beginning it was just a castrum, a fortified camp, having the objective of protecting Rome from enemies attempting to attack the city by going up the river. With the growth of Rome, the nature of Ostia changed and it became a commercial and cosmopolitan town where advanced forms of trading were developed. The spots to enjoy this view are:

Theatre

The theatre of Ostia was located in a very central position, along the decumanus, the name given by the Romans to the main street of their castra. The town trading centre was close to the theatre and we can imagine that the merchants ended their working day by attending a performance at the theatre. Most likely they preferred a farce to a drama. The theatre is still used today and every summer there is a short season based on farces by Plautus and Terentius, two writers who adapted Greek comedies to the Roman society.
The theatre was built by Agrippa, Augustus’ son-in-law, but it was modified and enlarged by Commodus and Septimius Severus.

Baths

Ostia had several baths, a sign of its wealth. The baths dedicated to Neptune retain large fragments of the mosaics which decorated their halls. They were built over a long period of time but the most interesting mosaics portraying imaginary sea creatures are attributed to the reigns of Hadrian and of his successor Antoninus Pius.

Barracks of the Vigiles

The Romans had an elaborate system for managing their towns: they had laws which are regarded as an early approach to town planning, they had magistrates who supervised the orderly activity of markets, the storage of supplies, the celebrations during the festivities and they had firemen in charge of handling emergencies.
In a town like Ostia there was a constant risk of flood when strong winds blocked the flow of the Tiber into the sea. The firemen’s barracks were therefore located near the river to closely monitor the events: they were called Vigiles (those who stay awake).

Ostia Forum

The centre of Ostia was the Forum, a large square with porticoes around which the main buildings were located: the Roman Forum was surrounded by hills upon which some of its most imposing temples and palaces stood. The flat land of Ostia did not provide such a natural pedestal, but Hadrian’s architect who designed the main temple (Capitolium) did not give in and built it on a high artificial podium. The magistrates, officers and priests who worked in the basilicas and temples of the Forum patronized some large baths facing westwards (so it is thought that they were open in the afternoon). The halls were built on a raised platform, underneath which was the bath heating system.

with English Speaking Driver

Tivoli is the site of an imposing architectural complex dating to Hadrian’s time. This emperor’s gifts as an architect can be seen in the series of palaces, baths, theatres, etc. which he had built there between 118 and 134 and which were meant to remind him, here in Italy, of the places he most loved in Greece and the Near East. Right outside Rome, Tivoli, the ancient Tibur, was already a favourite holiday resort for the Romans as well as a place for the worship of local divinities. The spots to enjoy this view are:

Villa Adriana

The Villa of the Emperor Hadrian even in ruined condition is one of the most spectacular Roman gardens of which it is possible still to get a sense by visiting the site. The villa was created at Tibur (modern-day Tivoli) as a retreat from Rome for Emperor Hadrian in the early 2nd century. Hadrian was said to dislike the palace on the Palatine Hill in Rome, leading to the construction of the retreat. During the later years of his reign, he actually governed the empire from the villa. A large court therefore lived there permanently.

Villa d’Este

the Villa d’Este, with an Italian garden deservedly famous for its magic atmosphere. Built on the ruins of a Roman villa, it was first a Benedictine convent and then the Governor’s Palace, and as such was magnificently restored by Pirro Ligorio on commission of the governor at the time, Ippolito d’Este, around 1550. This Villa, with the five hundred fountains, the age and rarity of the trees, is certainly one of the finest gardens to be found both in and outside Italy.